Thomas Houseago
LOVERS
16 September 2023—28 January 2024
TANK Shanghai, Shanghai, China
TANK Shanghai is pleased to present LOVERS, Thomas Houseago’s first solo exhibition in China. Following the artist’s longstanding relationship with the museum since 2012, the inspiration for the exhibition began with the idea of recreating the artist’s studio in the museum space in China. Titled after the major sculptural work, Lovers (Round Room) (2016), the exhibition features a representative ensemble of abstract and figurative sculptures and paintings which embody the principal motifs that define the artist’s oeuvre from the last decade. This carefully curated selection displayed in the unique architectural setting of TANK invites visitors to become active participants by moving through the space among the artist’s rich body of work.
From Houseago’s figurative works to his abstract sculptures, and from his new paintings to the most recent carving, LOVERS reflects the artist’s journey through the different creative phases of his life in the unique space at TANK Shanghai. It encapsulates the driving forces of his art, such as the history of sculpture, the human figure and psyche, and philosophy, which visitors are invited to intimately explore in the space. Houseago says: “I want the show to tell that story. Some of the works are raw and intense, and as much about the action of painting or carving as about the images. I hope people will be able to move freely between these ideas and experiences, and through my artistic journey.”
